The Vancouver Sun "Fatabase" was compiled with the online nutritional information of 65 chain restaurants represented in British Columbia. Another 50...

Would you order The Keg’s honey barbecue ribs knowing they contained 1,975 calories — almost the equivalent of four Big Macs? How about the Church’s Chicken homestyle fillet with gravy, knowing it contained 6,691 milligrams of sodium — about three times the maximum daily recommended intake?

Some of you wouldn’t. If only you knew.

When it comes to dining out in B.C., few of us really know what we’re eating.

For that you have the federal government to thank.

Nutrition labelling became mandatory for all prepackaged foods Dec. 12, 2007, making it easy for consumers to find and read a standardized label.

But Ottawa exempted restaurants from having to provide the same nutritional information.

That’s left a confused and scattered marketplace, with little hope of uniformity based on the current system of voluntary compliance.

“The industry is being dragged kicking and screaming,” said Tom Wappel, a lawyer/lecturer and former Liberal MP who crusaded for mandatory restaurant labelling. “Canada, sadly, is going to be following and not leading.”

The Vancouver Sun has worked for six months to compile a computer database of nutritional information including calories, fat, sugar and sodium for more than 5,000 menu items served at 65 chain restaurants and fast-food outlets in Metro Vancouver.

The Sun could not obtain nutritional menu information from another 50 restaurant chains — among them, Cactus Club, ABC Country Restaurants, Sammy J. Peppers, Red Lobster, Moxies and Dominos — and there is no legal recourse to extract the information from them.

Chris Parry, The Sun’s online projects editor, began compiling the database on the day he was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. “I went home and started looking at the stuff I was eating when I went out for a meal — things that I thought were healthy options — and was a bit shattered pretty quickly,” he said.

“Some of these meals weren’t just bad choices, but were actually recommended by servers when asked what was a good option for someone on a diet.”

Overeating can lead to a number of obesity-related health problems, including diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Excessive consumption of sodium can contribute to high blood pressure.

Nutrition experts confirm that eating healthier in restaurants begins with knowing what the food contains.

Nanci Guest, a registered dietitian and head sports nutrition consultant for the 2010 Olympics, said The Sun’s database provides convenient one-stop shopping for consumers who would not otherwise take the time to consult each restaurant chain for nutritional information.

Guest said the food industry must be “accountable for their ingredients” and said she is a “strong advocate” for the posting of nutritional information in restaurants.

The problem, she said, is that consumers also need the information at the “point of purchase . . . to make an informed decision.” Consumers often make on-the-spot decisions about where to eat, especially at fast-food restaurants. “Looking online ahead of time is not practical,” she said.

Volunteering information

Five years ago, the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CRFA) developed voluntary nutrition labelling guidelines for restaurant chains with core/standard menu items. They are available on the association’s website (crfa.ca), but only if visitors specifically do a “search” for nutrition.

The guidelines state: “This information will be made available to restaurant consumers through in-store brochures or pamphlets, which will be consistently and readily available to customers at each unit location. The availability of the nutrition brochure will be prominently displayed on menus, menu boards and such vehicles as take-out and home delivery packaging.

“The requisite nutrition information will also be made available on participating company websites. The availability of the online nutrition information will be prominently identified on menus, menu boards and vehicles such as take-out and home delivery packaging.”

The association boasts that 33 national chains with standard menu items have signed on to the program, although Ikea told The Sun it is listed as a member when it is not.

The Sun found that compliance with the guidelines is anything but obvious and uniform among several other chain restaurants listed as members.

In a walk-in survey of downtown restaurants, McDonald’s and A & W, provided their nutritional information on the bottom of the tray sheet, where consumers would not immediately think to look. As well, the trays are only provided to customers dining in and only after they have ordered.

Burger King provided a take-away pamphlet on request, while Dairy Queen allowed The Sun to review a laminated pamphlet that could not be taken away.

Starbucks was out of pamphlets listing nutritional information for drinks (normally kept on the sugar and milk counter), but kept a binder with pastry information out back.

Tim Hortons said its nutritional information was on order and unavailable.

In response, CRFA national vice-president Ron Reaman said that despite The Sun’s findings there is a “genuine commitment” to providing the nutritional information clearly being sought by consumers. He added restaurant websites that post nutritional information receive high consumer traffic.

“Is there room for improvement? Of course,” he said. “Are we working with our members to ensure there is increased awareness . . . ? Absolutely.”

Wappel said the fact that numerous chains within the industry have voluntary programs to provide consumers with nutritional information proves it can be done. “It’s being done because consumers are demanding it.”

A failure to act

The U.S. has a stronger consumer lobby and can be expected to show the lead on the issue, he predicted.

Given Ottawa’s failure to act, Wappel urged consumers to raise their voices and demand nutritional information from restaurants, and to patronize those restaurants that do provide the information.

In the U.S., several cities and states have passed laws requiring restaurants to post nutritional information, including Seattle, New York, Nashville and Philadelphia, along with California, Oregon and Massachusetts.

U.S. President Barack Obama’s health reform package would require restaurants with at least 20 outlets to post caloric counts, superceding local and state laws already in place.

Reaman said the posting of calories alone as a general indicator is inadequate, noting some customers want to know information specific to carbs, sodium, protein or allergies. “By going the U.S. route you elevate one single nutrient value. It’s a little misleading to make choices based on one determinant.”

Reaman had not heard of the Seattle law, which also requires posting of information on saturated fats, sodium and carbohydrates at the point of purchase — not necessarily on the menu, but on a separate sheet.

He noted his association’s voluntary program provides consumers with nutritional information about calories, fat (saturated and trans fat), cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates (fibre and sugar), protein, vitamin A and C, calcium and iron, along with the top 10 food allergens.

Among chain restaurants that are not part of the CRFA voluntary nutrition program, the downtown New York Fries outlet visited by The Sun could provide no nutritional information.

The Flying Wedge had no on-site information, referring patrons to the company website.

White Spot provided nutritional information on its menu for a handful of “lifestyle” choices, but referred to its website for information on its big-ticket calorie items. Turns out the website contains no nutritional information.

Only Subway, which is also not part of the association’s program, stood out from the crowd, posting its nutritional information where it is obvious to consumers when they order. Competitor Quiznos referred to its website, but the Canadian website contains no such information.

The Joey Restaurant Group has produced nutritional information, but, like so many other restaurants, makes customers ask for it rather than placing it on the menu or at least on every table.

“Putting it on the table might be going a little too far,” marketing director Brit Innes responded. “As a consumer and someone who eats out in restaurants four or five times a week, I don’t want to know. Restaurants are an escape for people, you know what I mean.

“If there was a turn, and people voiced they wanted that, I think we could look at that. But myself, I want to eat that chocolate cake and not worry about that.”

Consumers report in surveys that they would like to have nutrition information when eating out, Guest countered, but so far there is little research to show how they would interpret and use this information.

“I am constantly shocked at the calorie and fat content of entrées in the majority of restaurants . . . .” she said, noting the average consumer tends to underestimate the calories in restaurant food.

Consumers should also be more aware of sodium, noting potato chips come out looking pretty good compared with some items in which the sodium is disguised.

Who would know that Montana’s Decadent Tortilla Cheesecake contains 1,270 milligrams of sodium — more than half the recommended maximum daily intake?

Of salads and Big Macs

Natalie Brown, a registered dietitian and nutrition consultant with offices in White Rock and Langley, added that consumers may think that ordering a salad is a healthy choice when, in fact, the salad dressing can be as bad as choosing the hamburger or fries.

“It is certainly another tool to keep individuals knowledgeable about food and hidden calories,” Guest continued. “Many people will think twice about eating that innocent chicken caesar wrap when it would take three hours on the treadmill to work it off.”

In his 2004 documentary, Super Size Me, American independent filmmaker Morgan Spurlock watched his health steadily decline as he ate nothing but McDonald’s fast food every day for a month.

But The Sun’s database confirms there are far-less-healthy foods widely served at sit-down restaurants.

“I challenge people to go through the Milestones, Earls and Joey nutritional information lists and find something with less fat than a Big Mac,” The Sun’s Parry said. “And that’s just the places who provide information.”

Cactus Club said in an e-mail response: “We did have a brief nutritional assessment done for a few menu items a while back, but with our menu and many ingredients in our classic items constantly changing, we have found it very hard to stay current with this information. However, we are presently looking into having this done.”

Memphis Blues, whose feature items include the Memphis Feast and Elvis Platter, responded in an e-mail: “I don’t have any nutritional facts for you. Frankly, no one in their right mind would consider BBQ as diet food (though the Atkins diet is all about meat!). We subscribe to the ‘everything in moderation’ school of eating, and serve lots of red wine to balance it out!”

At Pajo’s fish and chips, with outlets in Steveston, Port Moody and Port Coquitlam, owner Kevin Elston allowed that he knew little about providing nutritional information. “What do you do, you send the food to someone to have it tested? Gosh, I wouldn’t know where to start.”

He added: “We’ve always used high quality oil, non-hydrogenated, no trans fats, no cholesterol. If we wouldn’t want to eat it at home, we wouldn’t serve it to our customers.”

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